1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a camera of a portable terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a camera of a portable terminal that automatically controls a zoom function of the camera in a video phone call.
2. Description of the Related Art
As mobile communications technology develops and portable terminals are widely used, the portable terminal provides various useful functions. For example, a user can take advantage of services including text transfer, photography and listening to music, by using the portable terminal. More particularly, the portable terminal provides a video phone call service which a user can communicate over the portable terminal while viewing the face of a user in another portable terminal which provides a third generation mobile communications service.
The video phone call service is a service that can transmit an image obtained by taking a picture of one's own figure through a camera in the portable terminal, while receiving an image which the user of the another portable terminal transmitted, thereby enabling communication over the portable terminals, while mutually looking at the figure of each user of the portable terminals.
In such a conventional video phone call, a rate at which a subject occupies an input image is changed depending on the distance of the portable terminal and the subject (e.g., user). That is, if a distance between the portable terminal and the subject is short, the rate which a subject occupies an input image is increased. Whereas, if the distance between the portable terminal and the subject is long, the rate that a subject occupies an input image becomes smaller. Therefore, in the conventional method for the video phone call, in order to provide a fixed image (i.e., a fixed image that has a fixed rate which a subject occupies an input image) to the user of the another portable terminal, the distance between the portable terminal and the subject should be uniformly maintained. However, in the conventional video phone call the user has to continuously verify the input image photographed by the camera through a display of terminal. Accordingly, the user is not able to concentrate on the video phone call.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and method for controlling a zooming function of a camera of a portable terminal.